+ submit an abstract

Submission opens January 1, 2026

Deadline: May 1, 2026

Why Submit?

Help bridge the gap between research and practice by sharing your work. We strongly encourage participation from both researchers and snow avalanche practitioners.

We welcome abstract submissions and participation from individuals of all backgrounds, disciplines, and levels of experience. Together, we advance safety, scientific excellence, and belonging in the mountains.

What’s involved?

  • Submit an abstract (max 350 words) by May 1, 2026

  • Abstracts reviewed and assigned to sessions by July 1, 2026

  • Presenting Authors must register for ISSW by July 15, 2026

  • Submit a short paper (2–8 pages) by August 24, 2026 using either:

  • Prepare an oral or poster presentation for the conference

  • Present your work at ISSW 2026

what is an abstract?

A brief summary of your talk, poster, or paper that explains:

  • The topic or problem you're addressing

  • Why it matters

  • How you approached the topic and what you’ve found or will present

  • What you hope others will take away

Think of it like a book blurb—it should spark interest and give just enough detail.

abstract guidelines

Language: English only

  • Title: max 140 characters

  • Text: max 350 words

  • Presentation type: oral, poster, or either

  • No submission fees

  • Authors may submit any number of abstracts, however typically only one oral presentation is offered per author

We welcome abstract submissions and participation from individuals of all backgrounds, disciplines, and levels of experience, including those historically underrepresented in snow science and mountain professions.

Together, we advance safety, scientific excellence, and belonging in the mountains.

technical themes

You can tag your abstract with these themes to help reviewers and program planning:

  • Artificial Intelligence

  • Avalanche Dynamics

  • Avalanche Education

  • Avalanche Forecasting

  • Avalanche Formation

  • Avalanche Rescue

  • Decision Making

  • Diversity, Equity, Inclusion

  • Ice and Alpine Climbing

  • Incidents and Case Studies

  • Instrumentation and Remote Sensing

  • Mental Health and Wellness

  • Modelling and Quantitative Forecasting

  • Operations and Program Management

  • Planning and Engineering

  • Risk Communication

  • Snowmobiling and Motorized Access

  • Snowpack Properties

  • Terrain

  • Weather Forecasting and Climate

need help getting started?

review process

  • Abstracts are reviewed to assign them to appropriate sessions and build a balanced, inclusive program

  • The process emphasizes diverse perspectives from both research and practitioner communities

  • Each abstract is reviewed by at least two people—one researcher and one practitioner—matched with related expertise and experience

  • Reviews are anonymous; reviewers do not see author names

  • Abstracts are only rejected if they are clearly off-topic, inflammatory, purely promotional without scientific value, or if they substantially duplicate content from another ISSW abstract by the same author

    Reviewers score abstracts using four criteria:

  1. Quality

  2. Merging of theory and practice

  3. Relevance

  4. Innovation and contribution

  • The Technical Committee compiles reviews and assigns presentation formats and sessions, balancing reviewer scores with the overall technical presentation goals

  • Any abstract flagged for rejection is re-evaluated by the committee, and the author is contacted to explore whether concerns can be addressed

interested in reviewing?

  • Reviewers evaluate roughly 5 to 10 abstracts between May 15 and June 15, 2026

  • Reviewers should have relevant expertise in the abstract’s topic area to provide informed and fair evaluations

  • Reviewers are encouraged to honestly assess their familiarity with technical themes when signing up to ensure high-quality, reliable feedback for all authors

Sign up here - Link Coming Soon

submit to a peer-reviewed journal

Authors interested in publishing their work in a peer-reviewed, academic journal will have the option to submit expanded versions of their work to a special issue of Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences.

  • Submissions must go beyond ISSW papers with added detail and analysis

  • All papers will undergo peer review

  • More details and timelines will be shared closer to the conference